IGNOU launches Flexi-Learn for continuing education

Good news atlast for those who have a long desire to continue education.

Prospective students can now log on to Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) Flexi-Learn , to pick the subject of their choice and gain education free of cost.

According to an official press release, Flexi-Learn provides free and easy access to IGNOU’s courses. It integrates free learning resources with learning management systems for anyone who wants to learn, whatever their educational needs and experience.

The platform provides an alternate way of awarding degrees and diplomas. The student can pay the fee later and get a Certificate.

“Flexi-Learn offers courses in a completely open and flexible environment with a number of unique features, like, a visitor to the Flexi-Learn site has the option to register for any particular course or for a full length programme. A modular approach is followed wherein a learner can combine course credits to obtain a degree or diploma of their choice,” said an official.

In addition, the platform provides a self-learning environment with a list of Academic Advisors/ Course guides to act as mentors. The Personal Learning Environment (PLE) will also have interactive tools like Discussion Boards, Blogs, Wikis, podcasting, RSS Feeds etc.

Each course also has the option for both online as well as offline assessment, as per the choice of the learner, who can take exams ‘on demand’.

A complete tracking mechanism is integrated into the Flexi-Learn platform through e-portfolios of individual learners. The E-portfolio will keep a formal record of all formal and informal studies carried out by the registered learner.

Certification of the courses will be based on stipulated time spent on a course and completion of all learning activities identified by the faculty.

The Flexi-Learn platform provides an opportunity for prospective learners to sample a course before enrolling and help them in choosing courses and programmes of study.

Course wise registration facilities will also offer topic specific continuing education programmes.

“This platform also provides a flexible framework for Schools of Studies to identify and combine different courses already available, for offering tailor-made, need-based programmes,” he added.

In the long run, this unique initiative will help in achieving IGNOU’s objective of democratization of education by taking it to the doorsteps of the learners and providing high-quality education to anyone who seeks it.

The courses that are offered now are limited to the below, but there is a long list worth watching.

• Law
• Agriculture
• Library Science

There are some virtual classes that are really worth looking at too. The portal is designed using moodle which is a cool open-source education/course oriented content management system.

I am really glad that open source is used for good purposes instead of relying on flashy or silverlighty commercial softwares.

Should India be broken into smaller states to facilitate better governance?

There is no direct answer like Yes and No for such a herculean task.

India is the 4th largest democracy and number two in terms of population.

Any wise administration would not encourage further divisions to happen as it is a huge cost to the exchequer and directly to the tax-payers like you and me.

I believe that radically thinking the government should plan for reforms in the immediate future not only for development but also for administrative reforms.

I do not have the facts, but the constitution should have addendum to facilitate the minimum requirements for further division of a particular state, district or tehsil. it should not succumb to mere pressure politics and give in to rioting mobs.

the good part of what has happened today for a widely spread state is that it will now will have a respectful number of regions that it can focus on. I hope the people of India whichever state they belong to will vote for the right people, encourage and support the right administration.

we need to grow not in number of states alone but grow towards better infrastructure, administration, economy and social security.

God Bless India - Jai Hind

Ganya goes to UK

This post is a bit outdated (thanks to my selective amnesia)

But to give you a bit of a background, I attended the OR2008 at Southampton, UK.
1) inflight announcement - "welcome to Singapore airlines A380 airplane, the best and most spacious aircraft you can ever travel on"
ground facts - economy class crammed with 9 in a row divided in 3 columns. legspace not more than 22 inches. so hercules has to buy two tkts to fit in.
pity the caucasians and lucky the asians for once.

2) arrived at heathrow airport at 6 something am.
customs was full of Punjabis and Gujus.
baggage conveyor belt was creaky, first class baggage was rolled for 15 mins with no takers,
while the belt was eyed with overwhelming economy class passengers

3) trolley was heavy cast iron and stiff wheels which dont move together but try to go to independent directions

4) bangladeshi's pakistanis clean shaven and trim bearded punjabis madrasi's and what not.

first impression- the airport is dirty and dull.

5) London is gloomy, cloudy and cold around 4 degree celcius

6) airport bus went 2 circles before coming out from the same place to an adjacent lane

7) roads are narrow and all types of vehicles move with equal frenzy to finish the invisible race

8) strange parking rules in southampton.

if vehicle stays for 24hrs then guests get discount else every hour a pound, even if it means exceeding by a second.

9) had fun (mis)navigating using incomplete maps and obscure landmarks.

10) trying to find hertz car rentals in the maze, hertz was hidden infact behind a huge Honda used car show room

11) fish and chips joint run by punjabis who speak equally well in cockney

the medium fish & chips can be easily be fit for an elephant breaking a fast

12) I am in love with 1 minute signals and equally frantic drivers.

13) cold wind, sunshine and cool breeze again. what can be worst with a 2 hour walk covering the entire city under a drizzle.

14) And finally the best, some famous captions and sights in southampton

"we serve hot and cold food and ice creams too"

"Posh Clothes - we sell clothes for big and large men"

"Maritime memorial - dedicated to the Titanic, closed today"

"SCBRIG - Oldest bowling ring - since 1209"

"thieves would love to know you have kept valuables unattended in your car, dont complain if they are not found later"

car wheel cover on road "owner can contact the traffice police recovery department"

signage on a truck - "if you cant see my mirrors then I cannot see you either"

Choose your path

At this time of economic recession when everything seems to be like hell and there seems to be no end to it.

all around you find people clinging to their jobs, fearing loosing their livelihood would starve them.

At this pathetic time, I came across a beautiful quote, that I would like to share with you all.

" If you follow the crowd, you will likely get no further than the crowd. If you walk alone, you're likely to end up in places no one has ever been before. Being an achiever is not without its difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt. The unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that when people finally realize you were right, they'll simply say it was obvious to everyone all along. You have two choices in life. You can dissolve into the main stream, or you can choose to become an achiever and be distinct. To be distinct, you must be different. To be different, you must strive to be what no else but you can be "

Unknown Wise Men